Down time
by Tonks32
Summary: Just a short talk among the two wardens around the campfire.


Some random campfire talk during their travels set early on in the game. I'm putting this in the time frame just after Lothering. Please read and enjoy!

Kahlan leaned against the tree watching the fire dance in the center of camp. She knew Alistair was near by, thanks to the taint, she just chose to let him believe she didn't. Though she would never admit it aloud, she enjoyed the feel of his gaze on her. It made her feel desired for the first time in her life. Being daughter of a Teyrn people always viewed her more as an object. Something to be bartered with to help strengthen an alliance or form new ones. It was one of the things she cursed about her gender. She remembered being a child and hating the lessons on becoming a proper woman so one day she could marry so Arl be a good wife.

Kahlan would sneak away and watch her brother training outside with soldiers. When she was old enough Fergus would secretly teach her how to handle a blade. Thought it turned out later that her mother just led her to believe it was all secret. It turned out that all women of her bloodline were taught to fight just as well if not better then a solider. She remembered the moment a sword touched her hand something just felt so right. She was a born fighter and some how knew that her destiny would be the path of a warrior not some simply maiden.

_"I was quite the battle maiden myself, in my day. But I think it was the softer arts that helped me land a husband."_

Hearing her mother's voice ring in her head had her smiling. It turned out she was more like her mother then she thought. Thought she did her best to hide it, Elenor Cousland was no Orlesian wallflower. Her mother proved that in the fight to help her escape to safety. _Would you be proud of the road I'm taking now?_ Kahlan silently wondered.

"Are you all right?" Alistair's voice broke through her memories full of concern. He had noticed the change in her stance from relaxed to almost battle ready.

"What?" Kahlan blinked back unnoticed tears sinking to the ground as her knees became suddenly weak, "yes sorry I was just- I'm."

He moved to sit beside her. With his back against the tree and his shoulder against hers, he offered what comfort he could. "Want to talk about them?" He asked the same question she had when thoughts of Duncan caught up to him. All Alistair wanted to do was chase the sadness from her crystal blue eyes. It wasn't often that Kahlan let her guard down like this. He found it delightful that she chose him to open herself up to.

Kahlan picked at the grass trying to ignore the heat in her stomach she seem build whenever he was close. "I know it's suppose to help, but I just can't." She whispered flicking the grass in no particular direction. She just couldn't keep her hands still.

Alistair said nothing just simply looked out on the camp. The others had gone to bed long ago.

After a long stretch of silence, Kahlan spoke mindlessly petting the dog's head, "she refused to leave his side." She whispered as the memory engulfed her. After all this was over, if she survived that is, she wanted to find a love like theirs. Her mother could have fled and saved her self, yet she stayed to die by her husband's side. "My father was mortally wounded. He begged her to go with me."

"But she loved him to much to live with out him." Alistair finished. Love was something he had only dreamt about. There wasn't much of it in his life epically at the chantry. It was possible he had a love for Duncan as a son might a father. But the love Kahlan spoke of he didn't think existed.

"I just keep going through everything in my mind trying to see if there was some way I couldn't have changed things."

"You'll drive yourself mad." He would know. Ever since Duncan's death he had lost countless hours of sleep wondering if he could have saved the Warden. "Just think of it this way, they loved you and wanted you safe. Now you have a chance to honor their memory by putting a stop to this blasted Blight."

"I guess." Kahlan found her head resting on his shoulder and wondered once again why she felt so comfortable around him. They had been traveling with each other for only a few short weeks and yet it felt like she had known him for years. She didn't even feel this comfortable with any of the other companions, even the women.

Alistair felt like his heart was going to jump out of his throat. Stop it! He silently scolded himself even as his body began to respond in unfamiliar ways. Life at the Chantry left him with very little experience with the opposite sex. The sisters frowned upon that type of thing. _Just breathe and think of something else_. "You know what the worst part of being on the road is?" He asked letting a small moment pass before answering his own question. "There's no cheese."

The sudden and odd thought had Kahlan double over in laughter. She was surprised that she hadn't waken any of her other companions. Alistair was a very strange man. His odd sense of humor and witty comments was just another part of his charm she couldn't seem to deflect. Thought she was sure he wasn't even aware of just the effects he had on her in the first place. "The next time we are in a town I'll buy you a sack of it." Feeling better, She reluctantly stood to get some sleep. "See you in the morning, Alistair."

"Sweet dreams." He whispered into the dark breathing in her scent that lingered.

There it is! It's very short but I thought it would make a cute little scene that we didn't get to see in the game.


End file.
